Harry Potter, timetraveller
by elerosse13
Summary: Harry dies at the hands of Lord Voldemort during the battle of Hogwarts. Instead of coming back, he goes way back. First year story. No Slash
1. Chapter 1

_Hi, new story that just popped into my head. I hope that it won't interfere with my first story... I will look forwards to hearing your opinions.  
_

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THE END OR IS IT THE BEGINNING?

Harry opened his eyes and blinked slowly.  
Was this death then? The killing curse had just left Voldemort's wand and now here he was, in this empty hall all alone.  
Harry sat up and looked around more carefully and realised with a start that he was at Kings Cross Station. A very tidy and clean King's Cross station.  
Surely the afterlife wasn't at the train station, perhaps he was to wait for a train, he thought.

He stood up and blushed when he noticed that he was naked, he yearned for clothes desperately, even though he was alone. No sooner had the thought appeared before he was clothed in a robe.  
A small sound made Harry turn expectantly and he spotted a baby, lying a small distance from him. Making a motion to move closer to the baby he felt strangely creeped out by the baby's appearance and backed away feeling both relieved and ashamed of himself.  
He wondered if the others would be able to rid the world of Voldemort now that the Harry-Horcrux was gone. Hermione and Ron knew what to do and he'd sent Neville on the path as well, he was sure that they would win.

Sitting down on one of the benches he let out a sigh, not sure if he was happy that his part was over or sad that it had ended as it had.  
He wished that he had been able to start the journey to end Lord Voldemort sooner, rather than this late in his life. It was one of his biggest regrets, he decided as he sat there in silence, half listening to the sounds made by the baby.

All of a sudden the baby gave out a piercing screech, inhuman and shrill.  
Harry turned and watched, as what looked to be a web of black ink spread out on the baby's skin, before its body disintegrated and disappeared altogether. The station which had been serene and peaceful before, even with the whimpering's of the baby, suddenly felt brighter.  
Harry eyed the spot where the baby had laid and just knew, that Voldemort was gone. They had succeeded.

The Dark Lord was gone.

Harry let out a sigh of relief, he was ready for the next stop in the journey now that he knew that his friends would be safe from Riddle.  
He only wished that he'd been able to end it sooner, he thought again closing his eyes.  
Perhaps things would have worked out better if he'd had more time.

Harry opened his eyes a moment later and froze.  
Where on earth was he now, he wondered, he hadn't even noticed himself moving.

"Get up!" A shrill voice called and Harry grimaced.  
"I said, get up!" The voice called again before banging on his door a couple of times for good measure.  
Harry slowly reached out a hand and carefully pushed the door to his cupboard open.  
Giving his small hand a pensive look as he got out, he failed to notice his cousin's pudgy form quietly sneaking up on him.

A hard push later and Harry found himself on his back, on the thin mattress that lay on the floor inside the cupboard.  
"Too slow you freak, I got you!" Dudley called with a smirk, banging the door hard on Harry's legs which stuck out into the hall.  
Harry stared in stunned fascination, at the mini Dudley, as the boy stood laughing at him with malice on his face.  
"What are you staring at you freak?" Dudley asked after a moment, finally noticing that Harry neither reacted to having been pushed or getting his legs bruised by the door.  
"Mum, the freak is staring at me!" Dudley called before slamming the door on Harry's legs a last time, just because, before moved towards the kitchen. Harry finally sat up again, blinking in surprise and slowly rubbed his leg which was hurting.

What in Merlin's name was going on, had he ended up in hell, Harry wondered.  
Perhaps he'd been wrong in thinking that he'd finally get to be with his parents.

"Boy, get yourself in here at once! I won't stand for your laziness." Aunt Petunia called from the kitchen. Harry snorted at her words and rolled his eyes, as if anyone else here ever did anything other than laze about.  
Standing up with a deep sigh, he moved towards the kitchen and prepared himself for whatever punishment hell had in store for him.  
Was it to be an eternity of scrubbing dishes, frying bacon or pruning the garden he wondered, as he shuffled into the kitchen.  
His aunt stood with her hands on her hips and gave him an icy stare.  
"Well? Get to it, I won't have Dudley late for school because of your laziness." She hissed, motioning for the frying pan and bacon.

After having made breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen, Harry found himself pulling a few weeds out of the Dursley's front garden before it was time for school.  
What kind of crazy afterlife was this, he wondered.  
He'd been made into a little boy and his aunt and cousin were treating him as they always had. Sure it was bad but not nearly as bad as hell could be.  
Where were the fire and brimstone, Voldemort cackling on a high throne and Umbridge issuing detentions? That was in Harry's mind, the perfect hell.

Harry went to bed that evening feeling rather confused.

After being dropped off at his muggle school, he'd suffering a whole day of being around, twenty-something, ten year olds. Then he'd been given food at dinner, a small portion of course.  
His uncle had come home from work and barked at him to get his hair in order and his aunt had smacked him on the back of the head for moving too slowly.  
Dudley had tried his best to insult Harry by calling him a freak, taunting him about not having any friends to play with and mentioning his upcoming birthday which Harry was uninvited to.  
"We're going to the zoo and you're not coming!" Dudley had taunted, looking happy at the small frown that had appeared on Harry's face, before he'd moved on to demand an ice-cream from his mother. Uncle Vernon had of course driven to the shop and bought Dudley the biggest cone he could find, without even giving Harry a glance as usual.

The Dursley's were all acting as normal, so the thought of this being hell didn't make any sense. The only thing that would make sense, was if he'd been sent back in time rather than thrown down into hell.  
Sitting up he looked around his tiny room with a frown. How could he find out which it was?  
He spied one of his old little broken toys, a little tin soldier from Dudley's collection that had lost its leg due to a temper tantrum.  
Harry placed it at the end of his feet and held his hand out. Knowing that he had summoned his wand on more than one occasion before, it should work on the little toy too he hoped.  
The soldier haltingly inched closer to his hand before finally lifting into the air with a small jolt and landed in his outstretched hand.  
Harry blinked.  
"No…it can't be true." He muttered under his breath, staring at the toy. He couldn't have ended up in the past, that was just…crazy.  
His heart started beating at an increased rate and he slumped onto his back and grumbled as his head hit the wall.  
What to do, he wondered.  
If he had indeed travelled back in time, which he wasn't entirely sure about, it meant that he could change things.  
He could leave now and get the Horcruxes, Voldemort would be dead and gone before he even got to Hogwarts. Harry could grab Pettigrew and Sirius would be set free and they could live together forever.  
Everything would be perfect, he thought, rubbing his head absentmindedly.

"Boy!" Harry woke with a start the next morning and scratched his head.  
"Boy! Don't make me get down there, start the coffee!" Uncle Vernon called from upstairs again, pulling Harry from his thoughts.  
Today was a Saturday then, Uncle Vernon didn't eat breakfast with them on weekdays.  
"Boy, you had better be in the kitchen or else!" His uncle called again and Harry reluctantly got up from his hard bed.

His aunt entered the kitchen just as the coffee machine started spluttering, signalling that the coffee was ready.  
She sent him a glare and pulled out some bread from the breadbox, handing him two slices.  
"Marge has cancelled her visit as one of her dogs has taken ill, you'll undo the bed in the guest room and then spend the day outside. I won't have you lazing about in the house, god knows what trouble you'll get yourself into." She snapped, narrowing her eyes at him.  
Harry felt his mouth drop at the mention of Marge and thanked Merlin for missing out on that woman visiting them.  
"Well get going!" Aunt Petunia ordered, pushing him out of the kitchen as his uncle entered.

"Do something about that hair!" Uncle Vernon barked as Harry made it up the stairs. Dudley pushed him into the wall as they passed and Harry grunted as his arm throbbed rather painfully. Dudley chuckled at the sign of weakness and lumbered on downstairs for breakfast, humming the theme from one of his cartoons.

Harry was in the park, after having sorted out Dudley's second bedroom, and eyed the other children as they ran about playing innocently.  
"What am I doing here?" Harry muttered, standing up.  
He was going to go to London today he decided, he needed money and his wand if he was to collect the Horcruxes, staying here wasn't going to solve anything.  
Making it to the other side of the park before realising that he needed muggle money if he was to make it to London, he stopped in the middle of the path frowning for a moment.  
He decided to raid either his aunts or uncle's wallet, it wasn't as if he was stealing really, he was just going to collect on years of missed out ice-cream money.

Getting the money proved to be easy, Uncle Vernon always kept some bills in his work trousers which conveniently were left hanging on the banister for aunt Petunia to iron and Harry found the money he needed. Grinning at the sudden windfall he snuck out of Privet Drive in a good mood and headed for London.

A couple of hours later he sat fuming inside his locked cupboard, rubbing his shoulder.  
He'd been approached by a policeman at the train station, who'd wondered where his parents were. Apparently a ten year old was too young to travel on his own the man had decided, ignoring Harry's words to the opposite.  
When he'd found out that Harry was carrying over seventy pounds in his pocket, he'd just shaken his head and eyed Harry disappointedly. Running away from home wasn't going to solve anything, Harry had been told.  
He had been driven back to the Dursley's in the police car and was now serving a lifetime sentence, for having brought said car to the Dursley's doorstep and for his theft. Uncle Vernon had all but imploded as the policeman handed him his money back.  
Harry was furious at the way he'd been treated by the policeman, as if he was a small child to boss around. Honestly, he would have been just fine.

He wasn't let out of his cupboard, other than for school, until long after Dudley's birthday. Aunt Petunia had stayed at home with him as uncle Vernon had refused to take him to the zoo. Mrs Figg had been booked to babysit but just as last time she'd broken her leg, tripping over one of her kneazles.  
Harry had wondered at the change and questioned if he shouldn't be more careful of what he was doing and how, who knew what could go wrong if he messed up after all.

School had finally finished, thank Merlin, and Harry was counting down the days until his Hogwarts letter would arrive.  
Time moved ever so slowly, especially now that Harry wasn't being chased around by Dudley and his gang. He had discovered that if he went to the library as soon as it opened and stayed as long as he could, he didn't have to worry about big D and his gang.  
Harry unfortunately didn't have a library card, which meant he had to stay in the building and read. He would need his guardian to sign the card application form if he wanted one, according to the friendly librarian. He didn't think either of the Dursley's would let him get one though.

Harry was bored, it wasn't easy being ten again, and he had taken to reading books just to get away from the mindless chattering of his peers in school. His teacher had eyed him surprised when he pulled out The Fellowship of the Ring during silent reading in class, but he needed a challenge or he'd go mad.  
He'd started studying French on his own in the library much to his French teachers delight, they had cassettes which you listened to, and it gave him a bit of an extra challenge in addition to reading everything he could get his hands on. Harry figured the French would come in handy in his fourth year, in case the tri-wizard tournament happened again.  
He really hoped that it wouldn't but knowing his luck, he wouldn't be surprised if it did.

Finally the morning he'd been waiting for arrived, uncle Vernon ordered him to collect the mail and Harry, after avoiding Dudley's smelting stick, went to get the mail. He spotted his letter at once and snuck it in under his jumper and delivered the other letters into his uncles waiting hands, without anyone being the wiser.  
Soon he was sent out to fend for himself as usual and Harry hurried outside, least he be caught by Dudley and his gang and made his way to the library.

He got seated at his usual table and carefully slid the envelope open. The feel of the parchment under his fingers made his stomach clench, it was true after all.  
Quickly scanning the letter, to make sure it was legit, he pulled out the pen and paper which he'd asked for from the kind librarian and started writing.

Harry had already written the letter of acceptance, several times in his head so he had an idea of what he was going to write. He was a little worried about how to make it sound like something from a soon to be eleven year old, rather than an of age wizard but figured that whatever he wrote would have to do in the end.

_**Dear Professor McGonagall  
Thank you for the invitation to attend Hogwarts, I am definitely accepting.  
My aunt told me a little about magic and says that she'll take me to Diagon Alley where my mum bought her wizard things.  
She wonders if I have an account at the wizard bank as my mum did, if so, do you know what I need to bring in order to make a deposit or withdrawal?  
I don't have a passport so I don't know what I can bring as proof that I am, who I am.  
Harry Potter**_

Harry read the letter several times and wondered if it would do, It wasn't overly childish or grownup. With any luck he'd get his key sent in a letter or be able to pick it up at the bank. Hopefully he wouldn't set off any of her alarm bells and be able to go shopping on his own.  
He would keep a good lookout for the muggle policemen this time as he wasn't going to be caught again, even if he had to walk to London.  
As soon as he left the library for the day, a small owl swooped down from a tree and let him tie the letter to it and Harry watched it until it disappeared from sight with a slightly wistful feeling.  
A couple of days later he was sent a reply from his old head of house with instructions for how to access his account and his plans could finally be put in action.

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**__**_What do you think? Elerosse_


	2. Diagon Alley

_Here is the second chapter already, just because I had the time to write. I hope to soon get into Hogwarts where there will be more action. Thank you for the reviews from the first chapter._

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DIAGON ALLEY.

The arrival of the Hogwarts letter had put Harry in a good mood, which seemed to make the Dursley's a little confused.  
For the past week Harry had been given a few strange looks by his aunt, which he'd been answering with innocent eyes. He could almost guess at the thought that must be going through her mind, was Harry perhaps not a wizard after all.

It was two days left before his birthday and Harry was sneaking out of the Dursley's house early in the morning, hopefully for the last time this year.  
He'd left a nice little note explaining where he was going and what he'd do if they told anyone that he'd left without their permission. How he wished he could be there when they found it, the threat of telling the neighbours what a freak he really was, was sure to be incentive enough for them to keep quiet.  
He'd managed to scrape together enough money for a London trip by making small trips into his aunts and uncles wallets during the week, as to not arouse suspicion.  
Keeping a good lookout for any more interfering adults this time, he was happy to note that none seemed present this early on a Sunday morning. He managed to travel the whole way into London without too many inquiring glances his way.

Harry had decided to wear his school shorts as they actually fit and one of his smallest Dudley's castoff t-shirts. No point in attracting more attention to himself by wearing the hideous clothes he usually wore.  
He pulled his light blue school cap down, as much as he could, took a deep breath and then entered the Leaky Cauldron.  
Blinking his eyes, to adjust to the dimness of the pub, he wasn't too surprised at finding the room all but empty. It was a Sunday after all and not even nine in the morning.  
"Morning there young lad, what can I do for you?" Tom asked, after wiping one of the tables clean.

"Good morning sir, I was wondering if you could open the passageway into Diagon Alley for me please." Harry asked, getting a smile in reply.

"Sure can laddie, are you shopping on your own today then?" Tom asked, making Harry roll his eyes under the cap.

"Yes sir, my aunt said that I was old enough for it now." Harry answered cheerfully, as the barkeeper led the way to the small courtyard in the back.

"How exciting for you, well just come and ask for help from old Tom should you need it." Tom said as the archway to Diagon Alley opened, Harry nodded and rushed of towards Gringotts after thanking the man.  
There were some early people bustling about on the street, no doubt waiting for the shops to open. Harry guessed it was others, hoping to miss out on the school rush by being early, like himself.  
He slipped into Gringotts without anyone stopping him and breathed out a sigh of relief at having managed to escape the Potter hysteria, for the moment at least.

"Hello sir, I'd like to pick up my account key and make a withdrawal please." Harry said, walking up to one of the many free goblins.

"Name." It demanded, giving Harry a pointed glare.

"Harry Potter sir." Harry said, lifting his cap knowing that a peek at the scar might help.

"Hm, one moment please master Potter." It said, stalking off rather rudely.  
It came back a moment later and motioned silently for Harry to accompany another Goblin hopefully in possession of his account key, which had been sent by McGonagall.  
Harry couldn't help but remember the last time he'd been to the bank and the destruction he'd caused, he was more than happy about the goblins having no memory of that he thought.  
After filling a money pouch, he escaped the bank and its creepy keepers, and headed straight for Ollivander's as he couldn't bear to go without his wand for a second longer.  
Pushing the door open at the wand shop, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, finally he was getting his wand back.  
"Well now, who do we have here then?" A voice asked, making Harry turn.

"Hello sir, I'm Harry Potter and I'd like to buy my wand please." Harry said, not quite able to hide his very real excitement, making Ollivander mouth twitch slightly. The man's silvery eyes stared at him until he couldn't help but fidget.

"Ah yes I thought that I might be seeing you soon Mr Potter, well step forwards don't be shy." The man ordered, pulling out his trusty tape measure. He gave Harry another speculating stare before turning towards the counter.  
"Which is your wand arm Mr Potter?" He asked, making Harry hold his right arm out. He was waiting for the whole spiel about his parents wands and the story of Voldemort and knew it was coming when the man opened his mouth.  
"Are you here alone today?" Mr Ollivander asked, making Harry shake his head slowly.

"No sir, my aunt is here with me, but she's looking at my books in the bookshop. She said I could get my wand on my own." Harry said, having thought out what to say in case someone asked.  
Mr Ollivander nodded, seemingly happy with that answer, and clapped his hands at the tape measure which curled up on its own.

"Let's see now then. Your mother's wand was ten and a quarter inches long, swishy and made of Willow. Very nice wand for charm work. Your father's wand was eleven inches, Pliable and Mahogany, more powerful and made for transfiguration." Ollivander said absentmindedly, rooting around among the wand boxes.  
"We'll see which wand it is that will choose you." He mumbled, placing several of the thin boxes on the counter before Harry. And thus started the hunt for his wand.  
Harry didn't think that pointing out that he knew where his own one was, would be a good idea, so he suffered through hundreds of wands in silence whilst Mr Ollivander got more and more excited.  
"Not to worry Mr Potter, it will be here somewhere." The man said cheerfully, glancing at Harry's cap covered head thoughtfully.  
"I wonder…" He muttered under his breath, making Harry look up expectantly.  
"Yes, why not." Mr Ollivander continued, as he disappeared into the depth of the shop. He came back a moment later and handed Harry a wand with steady hands.  
Harry brought the wand closer and smiled at the little shiver that ran up his back.  
"Holly and Phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. Give it a little wave then." Harry followed the man's instructions and let his magic out in a sparkling shower of gold.  
"Bravo, Mr Potter, but how curious that you should fit so well with that wand." Mr Ollivander said, watching as Harry lovingly slipped the wand into his pocket.

"Why is it curious, sir?" Harry asked, knowing it was expected of him.

Mr Ollivander eyed him a moment in silence and Harry wondered if the man was going to tell him about the wand or not.  
"It is curious that you should get that wand, when its brother caused us all such pain." The man said, tidying away the wand boxes from the counter.  
"Yes, for you to have the brother wand to He-who-must–not-be-named is curious indeed. But the wand chooses the wizard Mr Potter, I think we can expect great things from you." He added, turning back to Harry.  
"That will be seven Galleons for the wand." He said quietly, prompting Harry to dig out the coins from his money pouch before exciting the shop.  
He was very happy to have that sorted, Harry thought as he walked down the street.  
Ollivander had always had the ability to slightly freak him out, he was sure that the man was a Legilimens and although Harry was sure that he now knew how to Occlude his mind he didn't feel too comfortable with the old man.

Digging in his pocket for his what-to-do-today list, Harry eyed his first task thoughtfully and hoped that it would work. He pulled out the letter he'd penned at home and took it to the post office, along with a small bag of Galleons, and a post owl soon took flight continuing his plan.  
Once that was done, Harry continued down the street feeling rather happy with himself. It was good to be back in the wizarding world and even more comforting to have his wand back again.

Harry entered Flourish and Blotts, after having bought a trunk, and looked around at the multitude of books with a keen eye. He quickly gathered together his first year books and then leisurely perused the rest of the assortment on offer.  
Going back for his first year again was going to be dead boring, so he'd decided to continue with his French studies and pick up either Arithmancy or Ancient runes, as self-studies during the upcoming year. It was leaning towards him doing the runes as they seemed more useful in the long run.  
He ended up buying more books today, than he'd ever read before all together, and they were all for a bit of light reading as Hermione might have put it.

Deciding to get his clothing sorted next, he set sights on Madam Malkin's where he bought the required clothes from his school list.  
He really had been hoping to get a normal wardrobe too, as he was tired of wearing Dudley's old castoffs, but had opted out in the end. Madam Malkin's did have a small selection of trousers and shirts but it seemed she catered mostly in robes, besides Harry refused to wear the wizard version of muggle clothes that she did have on offer.  
Spotting another clothing shop, further up the road, Harry walked over and sneaked a peek through the window.  
It looked rather posh and upscale, more like the kind of shop Malfoy would shop in, but Harry really did want new clothes, so he entered rather cautiously.

He left the shop a while later, wearing a new set of trousers and a smart shirt, feeling better than ever before.  
Although he was feeling a little apprehensive about the haircut he'd impulsively gotten, he thought as he rubbed his head before stuffing a new black cap on his head firmly.  
It was worth it, he hoped.  
The shorter hair took away that instant James Potter likeness he had, it also showed of his scar rather blatantly but people were going to stare at it whether he hid it under messy hair or not.  
He would be sending Dudley his old clothes back with a note of thanks, when he had the time, Christmas might be the right moment he thought with a smirk. Imagining the look on Dudley's face, should Harry wrap them in nice paper first, made him smile rather evilly.

Pulling the cap even lower on his head, if possible, he took a firm grip on his trunk and joined the growing crowd in the street as he headed for the Apothecary for his potions supplies.  
He had a lot to buy there, his wand would be monitored during the summer after all, but his potion making wouldn't be.  
Harry figured that it might be odd if he started shooting out advanced spells with his new wand all of a sudden. He would need to start slowly and then gradually build up his spell repertoire so as not to cause suspicion.  
If he knew the wizarding world right, they'd accuse him of being Voldemort reincarnate if he showed off too much, too soon.

The old man behind the counter, in the potions shop, barely gave him a glance as he entered and Harry shrugged before collecting a basked for his shopping. He filled the basket with all sorts of jars and bags, he also invested in some of the books on offer thinking it wouldn't hurt to read more.  
He may not like Snape, at all, but the man was right about everyone needing to learn potions as it meant that he could do magic undetected.

Harry doubted he'd be able to charm his way into getting his trace removed by the ministry, even if they actually liked him at the moment. He could just see Rita Skeeter's article on how the boy-who-lived got special treatment and the outrage it would cause. No, it was best to keep his head down and out of the limelight as much as possible, he thought grimly.

Having bought all his bits and bobs for the upcoming year, a tired Harry returned to the Leaky Cauldron, he was in dire need of a cup of tea and something to eat.  
"Ah, there you are laddie, did your shopping go as planned?" Tom asked appearing at Harry's side as soon as he entered the pub, it was almost as if the man had been waiting for him.

"Yes it went fine thank you, just a lot to get. I think I have time for a snack before my aunt arrives for me." Harry said with a tired smile. Tom led him into a small booth close to the kitchen and then sat down on the other side of it.

"I received a letter from your aunt earlier Mr Potter." Tom said quietly, leaning forwards with a look of barely contained excitement as he peered under Harry's cap.

Harry looked up feigning surprise and a little apprehension.  
"How did you know who I was? My aunt told me not to tell people because they would be acting all weird." Harry whispered, leaning forwards too. Tom seemed to make a supreme effort to rein himself in before pulling out a letter from his pocket.

"She told me what you looked like, besides you're the only lonely child that's come in all day." Tom said, eyeing Harry with a fond look from across the table.

"What did she write in her letter?" Harry asked, when it became clear that Tom was happy to just sit there and stare at him. The man blushed and handed Harry a small note, before saying that he'd bring Harry something to eat.  
Harry pretended to read the letter intently, he knew exactly what it said of course having written it himself. Tom soon returned with a sandwich, some chips and a glass of butterbeer, which he put in front of Harry.

"I have a room set up for you and unless your aunt writes differently you're to stay here until school starts, I'll even take you to the station myself if the need be." Tom said with a reassuring smile.  
"I'm sure you'll like it here Mr Potter and I'll make sure you're not bothered by anyone." He added, eyeing Harry kindly.

"I'm supposed to stay here as my other aunt got sick." Harry said, biting his lip before giving Tom an even look, he couldn't believe it was working.

The man nodded and slipped a room key across the table.  
"Here's your key. The room is on the first floor, not far from my personal quarters, you can come and get me for anything at all Mr Potter." He said, giving Harry another reassuring smile, clearly taking his responsibility seriously.

"My aunt says that I'll be safe here and that I should behave." Harry added, glancing at the letter, whilst trying to keep a straight face.

Tom shrugged and stood from the seat.  
"What trouble could a small thing like you get into?" He said, before walking towards the bar where a queue was forming.

Harry grinned hidden under his cap, if the man only knew, he thought popping a potato chip in his mouth.

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_So, what do you think? Elerosse_


	3. A Bee in the Bonnet

_**Ok, so I really don't mean to keep chucking these chapters at you. I will not be able to continue at the same speed as I do have summer classes to focus on. I have a test on Wednesday that I should be studying for, so I really shouldn't be posting this! Oh, well… Hope you're appreciative. Elerosse**_**  
**

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A BEE IN THE BONNET

Harry was in Harry-heaven.  
A week had passed since his arrival to the Leaky Cauldron and so far, he'd done nothing but read and laze about. He'd spent his birthday by lounging in the garden with a big ice-cream cone and a book on defensive spells and their uses when fighting garden gnomes. The humour section at Flourish and Blotts was rather good, Harry had decided.  
All in all, he was having the time of his life.  
Staying at the pub was even better than he remembered, whilst living with the Dursley's again for the past month and a half, had reminded Harry of just how bad life could be.  
Here he had his own room, food whenever he was hungry and people who actually spoke to him in a polite manner.

"Well now, who have we got here in the morning sunshine?" Tom greeted as he stepped outside into the sunshine.  
"You haven't even started school yet, but here you are, with your nose buried in a thick book again." He added, flicking his wand in Harry's direction, making the closed parasol nearby flap open with a hiss. The white owl perched on Harry's armrest, gave a little sound of protest before sending Tom a glare, she'd clearly been dozing off and gotten frightened by the sound.  
The owl moved closer to Harry and puffed up her feathers, becoming almost twice as big in a matter of seconds. Harry stroked her gently, glad he'd gone and purchased her in the end.  
He'd been unsure if it was right to do, as it felt slightly like replacing the old her with a new version, but in the end he'd been unable to bear the thought of someone else buying her. Who knew how she'd be treated and who she'd end up with.

"Morning." Harry greeted, placing a marker in the book he was reading before closing it, making Tom's smile broaden.

"Potions this early in the morning, ey? I rather disliked the subject when I went to school so I'm afraid I won't be any help, should you need it. You could ask old Sim for some tuition though, I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving you some pointers before school starts." Tom chuckled, as he gazed down at Harry.  
"Tell you what, Simian has actually been making noises about needing a helping hand so why don't I ask him if the two of you can make an exchange of a sorts?" Tom asked, making Harry feel a bit apprehensive not sure he wanted to sign up for a job just yet.  
"It will only be a matter of helping him pack up his stock and the like, mostly behind the counter sort of stuff." The man added, clearly used to Harry's rather unsociable nature by now as Harry refused to take his cap off in public.  
There had been an incident on his first evening down for dinner and Harry had since refused to eat in public, unless he was sure that the hat would stay firmly on his head.

"Can I think about it please?" Harry asked, making Tom nod good-naturedly.

"Course you can, laddie! Well, I'll let you get on with your studies." Tom said, continuing out towards his pub, leaving Harry to open his book again.  
Tom's words stuck with him though, maybe he could help the old man in the Apothecary out, in return for being able to brew. He had been disappointed when Tom told him not to brew in his room, saying it was against some ministry guideline for health and safety.  
Oh well, he'd think about it.  
He gave Hedwig another pat before focusing on the potions annual and returning to their feature on the Wolfsbane. He'd added the potion to his to-learn list and was now researching it, figuring he'd be a far nicer person for Moony to get it from.

Two days later he had his arms elbow deep in a box of mistletoe berries, as Mr Simian observed from the doorway.  
"You'd better find it Mr Potter." Mr Sim, as Harry had taken to calling him, groused.  
Harry wiggled his fingers among the berries frantically, searching for the Sopophorous bean he'd accidentally dropped into the open box on the floor. The bean was only slightly larger than the berries and he was feeling rather despondent about ever finding it again.

"Aha, found it!" Harry exclaimed with a triumphant smile, pulling his arms out of the berries. Mr Sim gave him a sharp look and Harry hurried to place the bean back into its jar, he'd only taken it out to have a quick look.  
"Sorry, sir." He mumbled, giving the man what he hoped was a suitably chastened face, making the man sigh.

"Do you even know what the Sopophorous bean is used for, Mr Potter?" Mr Sim asked, eyeing him with a long suffering look.

"Is it not used in the Draught of Living Death, sir?" Harry asked, sure that he'd read about it somewhere in one of his books.

"Hm, I guess all hope for you proving yourself to have some semblance of intellect, is not lost after all." Mr Sim muttered under his breath, still audible much to Harry's consternation.  
"Yes, the bean is used in that particular draught as it has a soporific action, it is also rather expensive." He said pointedly in a louder voice before turning with a sniff, as the bell above the door chimed signalling a new customer entering.  
Harry smiled to himself, glad to have known that little snippet of knowledge, wouldn't Hermione have been pleased.  
The man reminded him of a somewhat more temperate Snape and Harry thought that he actually might come to like the man, which was odd as he most definitely didn't think he'd ever come to like Snape.  
Returning the bean to its shelf, Harry turned back to the task of filling the empty jars on the floor with the berries from the box. He had a feeling it would take a while but as he'd been promised the permission to brew in the man's lab as soon as he finished, he really didn't mind.

As the week progressed Harry was sure that Mr Sim was beginning to warm up to him, the man was after all initiating actual conversations now rather than just muttering under his breath at him.  
Harry hadn't been too surprised to hear that Mr Sim had been a Slytherin when the man had offered up the information, he had had that air to himself after all. He was a proud Slytherin too, so Harry made sure to keep his opinions about the house to himself.  
Helping out in the Apothecary was turning out to have been a good idea after all. Harry had been able to brew several different potions already, all of which were child-approved unfortunately.  
Mr Sim had not left him alone for even a second during any of the potion-making, as he was apparently afraid that Harry might do something stupid like blow the shop up.

There were only two more weeks left of the holiday and Harry was sunning himself, in his favourite place, whilst reading a muggle comic book.  
"There you are Harry!" Tom called making Harry turn his head with a smile on his face, before freezing at the sight of a surprise guest.  
"This is Professor Dumbledore, he'll be your new Headmaster come September. He's just passing through and I thought you might like to meet him." Tom continued, as Harry quickly did his best to relax his facial muscles, at the same times as he struggled into his t-shirt.

"Hello sir, nice to meet you." Harry said, finally standing up from his seat and wiping his suddenly sweaty palms on his trousers, before offering his right hand to be shaken. Tom gave him a smile and a pat on the back before leaving them to talk in private, clearly happy with himself.

"Pleasure's all mine I assure you, might I join you for a cuppa Mr Potter?" Dumbledore asked, giving Harry's hand a firm shake and smiling at Harry's hesitant nod.  
"Shopping is ever so tiresome don't you think? I always find myself in need of a nice cup of tea once I finish." He added, pulling his hat off with a sigh. Harry nodded mutely, not quite able to grasp the fact that Dumbledore was seated on the other side of his table. He'd not been expecting this at all.  
"How are you enjoying your stay here at Tom's fine establishment, Mr Potter?" Dumbledore asked, with that ever present twinkle in his eyes.

"I love it, sir." Harry answered honestly, wondering if his aunt had notified the man about his escape or if he'd been under surveillance the whole time.

"Good, good." Dumbledore mumbled, nodding in thanks as Tom arrived with a pot of tea for them and a plate of biscuits which he placed on the table.  
"I was surprised when Tom mentioned in passing that you were staying here on your own. I hope that your relatives are well?" He asked, once Tom had left again, eyeing Harry over the rim of his teacup. Harry quickly swallowed the scalding tea, he'd taken a sip of. Ah, so that's how he'd found out then.

"Yes, they're fine thank you." Harry answered softly, not quite sure what to say.  
Deciding to just blow on his tea and let Dumbledore do the talking seemed the best action, so that's what he went with.

"It's slightly unconventional for an eleven year old to stay at a pub on his own you know. How exactly is it that you came to be here, Mr Potter?" Dumbledore asked in a curious voice, holding out the plate of biscuits and offering them to Harry, who hesitantly accepted one.

"I guess my aunt thought that it might be educational for me to stay a short while in the wizarding world before I started school." Harry hedged, before nibbling on the shortbread.

Dumbledore hummed and nodded, as if finding Harry's answer entirely plausible.  
"Tom tells me that you've been paging through your schoolbooks already. You should leave some for later you know, otherwise you might find yourself bored once you arrive at school. And a bored student is a naughty student, I've found." Dumbledore joked, making Harry smile hesitantly as it seemed they'd moved on to a safer topic.  
Once Dumbledore finally left, Harry breathed out a giant sigh of relief.  
That went a lot better than he'd expected it to.

September 1st finally arrived with Harry more than ready to attend his first year again.  
He wasn't actually wholly sure how he felt about it, it was both exciting and terrifying to be going back again.  
Being ten once more was hard work, everyone treated you like a child no matter how well-mannered you were. And Harry really was on his best behaviour at all times, it wasn't that fun behaving like a child after all.

"Got all your things Harry, no books under the bed or behind the wardrobe? No? Come on then!" Tom urged holding the pub door open, making Harry cast a last look around the pub. He would miss it whilst at school, even if Hogwarts always would take first place in his heart.  
"Come on now! You don't want to be late, do you?" Tom asked, prompting Harry to roll his eyes as he walked over.  
Tom knocked Harry's cap down over his eyes, before shrinking his trunk.  
"None of that now." He scolded with a smile, watching as Harry took a better grip on Hedwig's cage.  
Harry smiled back at the man. Yes, he'd definitely miss this carefree place he thought.

Tom apparated them a stone's throw away from Kings Cross station and they walked the last bit towards the platform in silence.  
"You remember what I said about the barrier don't you? We'll just lean against the wall and then we'll slip through, without any of the muggles being the wiser." Tom said in a hushed tone as they got nearer the barrier, making Harry nod.  
They made it through without any trouble and Harry smiled at the sight of the scarlet train that would take him home.  
"This brings back so many happy memories, you know. I'm rather envious of you, I'd give an arm and a leg to get a second go." Tom sighed, eyeing the train fondly as he enlarged the trunk for Harry, who eyed him strangely.

"Thank you sir for everything, this has been one of the best summer I have ever had." Harry said, genuinely grateful to the man who'd been more than kind during Harry's stay. Tom seemed to falter for a moment before grabbing Harry in a tight embrace.

"It was my pleasure, Harry boy! It's been great having you and you're welcome whenever you want!" The man said, sounding rather emotional all of a sudden. Harry coloured slightly under the man's fond gaze and cleared his throat feeling slightly embarrassed.  
"Well, you get on now and find yourself a nice compartment. I'd love to hear which house you land in, so you just remember to jot down a line for me once you get the time, you hear." Tom said hoarsely, smiling at the look that appeared on Harry's face.  
"I'll let you know mine, if you tell me yours." Tom joked, making Harry smile back. It was a game of sorts between them, for Harry to try and guess which house Tom had been in at Hogwarts. Harry was leaning towards Hufflepuff or Gryffindor but the man was rather hard to pinpoint.

"Or I could just ask one of the teachers when I get there." Harry said cheekily, making Tom's smile even broader.

"Careful there Mr Potter, that sounded very much like something a Slytherin would say." Tom teased, making Harry grimace.  
Tom chuckled and pushed him towards the train, helping him lift his trunk on board.  
"Sim has money on you ending up with the snakes like him, you know." He added, laughing at Harry's appalled face as he stumbled on a step.  
"Take care now Harry and don't forget to have some fun whilst you're at school. It's not supposed to be all about them books after all!" He reminded, tapping the front of Harry's cap and making it cover his eyes again.

"I will Tom and thanks again!" Harry said, before getting himself onto the train.  
Tom gave him a last wave before walking off, he had a pub to run after all.

Harry got himself comfortable in one of the many empty compartments, glad to have been early for once.  
He was feeling a little nervous at the prospect of meeting Ron and Hermione again, what if they didn't hit off as they had before.  
Pulling out a history book from his pocket, he got himself distracted well enough to miss the developing crowd on the platform until his door slid open with a bang.

"Oh, sorry!" Cho Chang mumbled, pushing her friends back into the aisle, before quickly closing the door again. Harry took a deep breath and placed the book in his lap, spying on the students outside the train instead.  
It was odd seeing everyone as kids again, but kind of reassuring as it meant that he wasn't the only one to have regressed. He gave a start at the sight of Cedric Diggory, hugging his parent's goodbye and had to turn back to his book as his eyes started stinging.

The door to his compartment slid open again, this time more gently.  
"Oh, sorry!" Neville Longbottom said, eyeing him hesitantly from the doorway, before seemingly pulling himself together.  
"Can I sit in here?" He asked in a small voice, looking ready to bolt at any moment.

"Sure." Harry mumbled, watching as his former classmate got seated gingerly on the seat across him.  
They sat in an awkward silence until the whistle signalled the time for departure.

"I'm Neville, Neville Longbottom." Neville finally said, having worked up enough courage it seemed.  
"This is my toad Trevor." He added in a rushed voice before blushing slightly.

"Harry Potter." Harry answered, removing his cap, ignoring the way Neville's eyes searched out his scar at once.  
Neville gave a somewhat strangled noise at the sight of it and dropped Trevor to the floor, before picking the toad up and blushing scarlet again.  
"Do you like exploding snap?" Harry asked, pulling out a deck he'd been given by Mr Sim as going away present.  
Neville gave a hesitant nod and scooted over to Harry's seat for better access.

By the time the trolley arrived, Neville had gotten out of his shell and they'd moved on to chatting about what they were most looking forwards too when arriving to Hogwarts.  
"Hello dears, do you want anything off the trolley?" The lady asked, smiling at them when they both jumped up from the seat.  
Harry bought a cup of tea and some cauldron cakes, whilst Neville filled his hands with as many chocolate frogs as he could.

"Do you collect them?" Harry asked, once they were seated again, making Neville colour.

"I've just started to collect them, my Gran said it would be a good idea as lots of people do." Neville mumbled, shuffling the boxes around on the seat.

Harry figured she was hoping for Neville to make friends through the cards and nodded encouragingly.  
"Sounds like a good idea." He said, making Neville brighten.

The door to their compartment opened suddenly and Harry gave an audible gulp at the sight of the twins in the opening.  
They smiled as one at the little sound and stepped in through the door opening, closing it gently behind them.  
"I think our reputation precedes us Fred!" George said with a wicked smile as he glanced at his brother.

"I think you're right George. That was a really good indication of our fame, I'd say." Fred answered, looking very pleased with Harry's reaction.

"I'm Fred Weasley and he's George." George introduced, high-fiving his brother who snickered at them. Neville slowly moved closer to Harry, eyeing the twins with a fascinated stare.  
"And you! You're Harry Potter if my eyes aren't deceiving me." He added, nodding at Harry.

"Naw I'm James, my mum thought the whole scar thing was neat so she carved one on my forehead for my last birthday. This is Neville Longbottom, nice to meet you both." Harry said, having come to terms with seeing double redheads again.  
Neville tore his eyes off the twins and gave Harry a wide-eyed stare, obviously not sure what to think about that statement.

The twins eyed him for a moment in shocked silence before letting out simultaneous roars of laughter. Neville joined them after a moment with a weak sort of chuckle, whilst eyeing Harry worriedly, still not sure what to believe.  
"Nice one Harry! Had us going there for a second." Fred said, wiping his eyes with the collar of his t-shirt.  
George nodded, still chuckling hard as he eyed Harry clearly impressed with his quick comeback.  
"If you ever need help with any pesky Hogwarts problems, you just come and find us yeah! We're in the coolest house of course, Gryffindor." Fred said, giving Harry a fond look before nudging his brother on the shoulder.

"Well, we need to go and set off some dung bombs, you'll want to avoid the first two carriages boys, as there's going to be a big stink there!" George said cheerfully, giving them a salute before leading his twin out the door, which was shut with a quiet snick.  
Harry smiled, relieved to have had another meeting done and sorted and turned to find Neville still staring.

"I was just pulling their legs, Nev." Harry said apologetically, making Neville nod quickly.

"It was really clever." Neville said after a moment of silent contemplation.  
"I wish I could come up with things like that." He mumbled, pulling at his shorts.  
Harry shrugged, slightly uncomfortable with the dejected look on the other boys face.

"I don't always manage either, it's all about luck and the right timing I think." Harry said, making Neville look up.

"Do you really think so? My gran says I'm too quiet and awkward to learn any social skills." Neville said, eyeing Harry hopefully. Harry rolled his eyes at the mention of Neville's gran, the woman was terrifying and really unhelpful in raising Neville's confidence.

"Well, she's not here is she? So you can act anyway you want!" Harry said with feeling, remembering how much Neville had changed through the years, making the other boy smile hesitantly.

"My gran always finds out when I'm not up to scratch." Neville said quietly, eyeing the door worriedly as if she'd suddenly appear by the power of his words.

"Well let's play another game of snap then, I'm sure she wouldn't mind that." Harry suggested, hoping the game would be sufficient distraction away from thoughts of his grandmother. Trevor gave a load croak as if in agreement.  
"A game it is." Harry said with a nod at the toad, making Neville smile again.

A bit later on in the journey, their door was slowly sliding open again, causing both Harry and Neville to eye it apprehensively.  
"This is Ron, our little brother, he's lonely!" Fred said, pushing Ron headfirst into the seat opposite of the other two.  
"We hope you don't mind him sitting here with you, feed him a sweet or two now and then and he should be just fine." Fred added, before closing the door, giving them no time to answer in either a positive or negative way.

"Sorry, I'll go if you want me to, my brothers a real jerks." Ron muttered, his ears going red.

"Naw, the more the merrier! I'm Harry and this is Nev." Harry introduced, making Ron's ears go even redder if possible.

"Are you really Harry Potter? Because my brothers were saying something about you having a fake scar…" Ron trailed off, his whole face going red.  
"Sorry, forget I asked. Of course you're Harry Potter, I don't know why I said otherwise…I'm going to stop talking now and then maybe we could forget thiseverhappened." Ron said, ending his speech almost too quickly for anyone to understand.  
Harry couldn't help but laugh when Ron finally drew a breath and soon the other two boys joined in. Ron looked better for it and they were soon engaged in a fierce battle with the cards, awkwardness forgotten.

By the time the train arrived to Hogsmead they'd all changed and managed to build a rather impressive castle, which exploded with a deafening bang as the train jolted to a halt.  
They quickly collected the cards together and followed the stream of students pressing to get off the train.  
When Harry spotted Hagrid coming towards them, he suffered a moment of such strong emotions that he almost choked from holding his breath too long before it passed.  
He, Neville and Ron joined the other first years as they hustled into boats and went across the lake, before being led up towards the big doors that would take them into the castle.  
Harry walked as if in a haze, not really paying attention to Professor McGonagall's speech, he'd just realized that the hat might choose to not sort him. How many people had returned from the dead and been de-aged after all?

"What if I don't get sorted into a house?" Neville whispered, sounding as terrified as Harry felt, Ron paled at Neville's words and now looked on the verge of spewing.

"You got a letter, which means you'll be sorted." Harry said, trying to sound reassuring, even though he was suffering a personal crisis of his own. Neville looked marginally reassured as he fidgeted nervously, passing Trevor from one hand to the other.

"My brothers said that whatever we need to do to get sorted, will hurt a lot." Ron whispered, causing Neville to grasp onto Harry's cloak with fear.

Harry snorted and shook his head at the others.  
"You're brothers don't come off as the most reliable people to trust in these matters Ron, no offence meant." Harry said rolling his eyes. Both Ron and Neville seemed to relax at that, clearly agreeing with Harry's words of wisdom regarding the twins.  
Harry on the other hand tried desperately to calm his racing heart down, by reciting potions and eyeing the ghosts as they appeared.  
He wasn't so sure that he himself would be sorted, he was actually getting rather cross with himself for coming.  
Maybe he should have run away, then none of this would be happening, he thought.

"You're Harry Potter aren't you?" A drawling voice suddenly asked, pulling Harry out of his misery.  
Draco Malfoy stood before Harry with a snooty face and slicked back hair.

"No, I'm James Evans." Harry said with a straight face, not missing a beat, watching as Malfoy's face coloured slightly in embarrassment.

"I heard about you, I can't believe what lengths some parents go to for a little fame, I do hope you're of our kind." He sniffed, turning away before Harry had a chance to answer.  
Neville eyed Harry with a small smile, when he turned, whilst Ron gave him a look of such awe that Harry worried he might blush.

"That. Was. Absolutely. Brilliant!" Ron gushed excitedly, his sorting worries apparently all forgotten in the face of tricking a Malfoy.  
"He's going to blow a fuse when he finds out the truth." He added happily, impressing Harry with his choice of muggle wording, before paling dramatically as Professor McGonagall returned.  
"I don't want to be here anymore…" He whimpered under his breath, causing Harry to nod as he agreed wholeheartedly.  
They followed the Professor until she stopped and then collectedly gazed up towards the head table, until the tear at the bottom of the hat opened and it sang the sorting song.

Harry started reciting potions so diligently in his head, that he didn't notice himself actually muttering the ingredients out loud under his breath. Hermione, who stood not far away, eyed him with interest before shushing at him, as he was distracting her away from listening to the song.  
Harry turned and eyed her in surprise, before facing forwards with a small smile, same old Hermione it seemed.  
His smile faltered though as McGonagall started calling out names, he took to muttering under his breath again as she got closer to P.

"Potter, Harry!" Professor McGonagall finally called, making Harry square his shoulders resolutely.

There was a murmur of whispers as he made it over to the hat, which barely touched his head before calling out.  
"RAVENCLAW!"

The students, seated at the table under the blue eagle banner, burst into applause at the hats words.  
"Hellebore…what?" Harry muttered, blinking as the hat was pulled away.

"Hang on, just a minute!" The hat called moments later sounding cross. The loud cheers from the Ravenclaw's slowly fizzling out and Harry could feel the collected gazes of all the students on him as he blushed.  
He hesitantly turned and eyed the hat feeling confused before glancing at Professor McGonagall, who eyed the hat equally surprised.  
"Oh, fine! But I'm not sorting you again, you hear! Once is enough you know Mr Potter!" The hat grumbled, causing Harry to eye the Professor rather nervously.

"You can get seated at your table Mr Potter." Professor McGonagall said softly, eyeing the hat worriedly. Harry slowly made it over to the quiet Ravenclaw table, he didn't dare breathe until the next name on the professors list was called.

What, in Merlin's name had just happened?

* * *

_**He, he**_**…**_**nothing ever is as it seems…the flutter of a butterfly's wings and all that…What do you think?**__**Elerosse  
**_


	4. The Eagles nest

_Hi, here is the next chapter. I have copied Snape's speech from JK's book as I like it. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Elerosse  
_

* * *

**THE EAGLES NEST.  
**  
Waking up in Ravenclaw tower, the morning after the sorting, had to be one of the most confusing things to have ever happened to him.  
His new dorm mates were not the ones he'd been expecting to share a room with and the colours up in the tower, although very nice, were all wrong.

What in Merlin's name had gone wrong yesterday, Harry wondered as he slowly struggled to wake up.  
He'd been so worried about not getting sorted, that he'd focused on all the different potions he needed to learn and all the ingredients he could name. Was that perhaps why, he'd ended up with the ravens, he asked himself feeling rather stupid.  
He was relieved to have been sorted but still feeling stupid for getting into the wrong house. He should have thought about saving the world or something…

He grabbed his glasses from the low bookcase by his bed and pulled his hand through his hair.  
Michael Corner was up and about, pulling things out of his trunk, but the others were still in bed.  
"I couldn't sleep any longer, isn't it weird not being at home anymore?" Corner asked, giving Harry a glum stare.  
Harry shrugged, anywhere but at the Dursley's was heaven for him after all.

By the time the rest of the boys had risen, Harry had showered and done a few runes from his beginner's rune exercise book, under the curious gaze of Stephen Cornfoot.  
"I didn't know we could take Ancient Runes already, my father said it was a third year elective." Stephen commented as Harry placed the book on his shelf.

"It's not school work, I just do it as a hobby." Harry mumbled, getting a thoughtful nod from the boy.

"I might ask my father to send me some books as well." Stephen said, as he pulled his cloak on, before heading out the dorm.

"How can you remember the way to the hall already, I barely remember which cupboard is mine up in the dorm?" Terry Boot asked, eyeing him impressed, as they made it down for breakfast.

"Er, good memory I guess." Harry said, giving the other boy a nervous glance.  
"Oh, I'm just going to go over and say hello to my friends, see you guys in a bit." He added, having spotted Neville and Ron seated at the Gryffindor table. Both boys gave him a wave as he came nearer and Harry could feel himself relaxing. This was more like it, he thought sitting down.

"Morin, whuffa don hew?" Ron asked, making Harry grimace.

"Finish chewing, why don't you." Harry said, shaking his head at the redhead.

"So how is Gryffindor?" Harry asked Neville, who in contrast sat with his fork resting nicely on his plate.

"It's great! My gran is not going to believe that I got into Gryffindor, my parents were Gryffindor's you know!" Neville said excitedly, looking proud.  
"Although, now she'll expect me to be brave and daring." He added, sounding worried.

"Well not all bravery is about charging around, it's also about standing up for what's right." Harry said, remembering that Professor Dumbledore had said something about it at the end of their first year. Neville gave him a hesitant look but chose not to comment further.

"Why are you here?" Ron asked, after finally having finished his bite.  
"Shouldn't you be with your own house?" He asked, pulling another bread roll towards himself. Harry eyed him strangely, what was with the tone he wondered?

"Oh, shut it Ronniekins! If the great James Evans wants to sit with us he can!" Fred scolded, giving Harry a broad smile.  
"So? How in the world did you end up with the ravens?" He added, sitting down.

"We pegged you for a lion for sure, after you tried to pull that funny one on us yesterday." George agreed, seating himself on Harry's other side, nodding his head at Neville who looked nervous.

"I guess I'm funny and clever at the same time, compared to you." Harry said, smiling at the twin looks he got, before they both laughed and shook their heads.

"Such a waste of good talent." Fred mourned patting Harry on the back.  
Harry soon made it over to his new House table, after spotting Professor McGonagall heading down with the schedules.

Professor Flitwick soon came round with theirs as well, giving Harry a few moments of silence as his house mates busied themselves with checking it out. Harry gave his a quick glance but could get past the first listed lesson of the day.  
"I guess summers over huh…" Corner mumbled forlornly, as he eyed the paper, making Harry give him a second look at the tone. He hadn't really known Michael Corner that well before, but surely the other boy hadn't been this moody? Maybe he was homesick or something.

"I can't believe we'll actually be stirring potions in a cauldron. That's so, witchy!" Terry Boot said sounding rather affronted at the prospect of Potions.  
"Besides the book was really hard to understand." He added with a frown as he poked his toast.

Stephen rolled his eyes at the other boy's words.  
"My father has been tutoring me in potions for years, I shouldn't have any problems in that class at all." He sniffed before carefully folding his timetable into a neat square.  
Terry made a face at Stephen, which the other boy missed, before taking a bite of his toast.  
"We have potions next so I suggest we make a move." Stephen added standing up regally.  
Terry made another face at the boy and got a glare in return, having been caught in the act this time.  
"You can stay here and be late for our first class if you want to, I don't care." Stephen sneered before leaving them at the table.

Anthony and Michael both laughed as Terry made another face at Stephens retreating back.  
"Could he be any more stuck up if he tried?" Terry asked, smiling as the other two boys snickered.  
Harry took a deep breath, ignoring the others, before stuffing the timetable in his pocket. Stephen was right about them needing to be on time, Snape was not going to go easy on them just because it was their first ever lesson at Hogwarts.  
What a joyful way to start the school year, double potion first thing on a Monday morning with Snape.

Harry looked around the classroom with dread, to think he was going to suffer through the class all over again for the next few years. He took in the terrified looks on the Hufflepuff faces and guessed that they'd all been warned before coming.  
Snape stalked into the classroom and the door closed with a bang, making most of them sit up straighter.  
Stephen leaned forwards eagerly, whilst Terry gave the professor an unimpressed look.

Snape took the register and paused as expected at Harry's name, giving him a narrow eyed look, before surprisingly continuing with the rest of the names.  
"You are here to learn the subtle science and art of Potion making." The professor started, causing Terry to give a tiny snort clearly not agreeing.  
"As there is little foolish wand waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic." He sent Terry a look, making the boy look down on the desk paling slightly.  
"I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses." Snape took a breath and Harry felt he had to give the man credit for trying to convey his passion for the subject.  
"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death. If you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." He finished, sending the Hufflepuff's a pointed glare.

"Potter!" Harry jumped as Snape suddenly rounded on him.  
"What is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?" He barked eyeing Harry expectantly. Stephen and Ernie both raised their hands, receiving glares for their actions.

"They are the same plant sir, also called Aconite." Harry answered, glad to have known the answer this time.

"And what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Was the next question asked and Harry had to fight the smile that wanted to escape.

"The draught of the living dead sir." He answered, making Stephen nod next to him.

"Hm, I guess you might prove yourself to be an adequate student. I have high standards and if anyone feels themselves above these they may leave." Snape said, eyeing the whole class by the end of his words.  
They were put to work brewing a cure for boils, Harry and Stephen ended up brewing together. The cure was of course easy for Harry, who had done it before both here in school and with Mr Sim during the summer.  
Stephen seemed to have been telling the truth about having brewed with his father as he seemed to know what he was doing too. Terry, who was partnered with Michael, refused to stir the potion or touch the horned slugs earning himself another glare from Snape and an exasperated sigh from Michael.  
"Tell me Mr Potter, in which two potions would you use a Jobberknoll feather?" Snape asked, sneaking up behind Harry and Stephen.

Harry, who'd just finished cleaning the porcupine quills, nearly stabbed himself in the finger with one.  
"They are used in truth serums and memory potions sir." He answered, having unpacked several boxes of them this summer.

"You have a basic foundation I see. Take care you keep up the work and don't disappoint your tutor." Snape sniffed making Harry nod. Who would have thought that Mr Sim would gossip with Snape, Harry wondered.

"Who's your tutor?" Stephen asked as soon as Snape stalked to terrorise someone else.

"He's the owner of the Apothecary in Diagon Alley." Harry answered, making Stephens eyebrows rise.

"You were tutored by the owner of a potions shop?" Stephen asked, sounding unsure of whether he was impressed or not.  
"My father says it's really hard to find a good tutor now a days, willing to take on pre-Hogwarts students. That's why he tutored me himself, he received an O in his NEWT's in potions you know." Stephen said, making Terry who was listening in roll his eyes.

"Your father is obviously the greatest person alive." Terry said in a haughty voice, making Michael crack a smile.  
"Who cares about cooking witchy potions anyway? I mean what use are they really, compared to real magic which you use a wand for?" He added, not noticing Snape gliding up behind him.  
The Hufflepuff students brewing behind him paled and seemed to freeze in whatever position they were in.

"Perhaps we shall be using you as our tester once we move on to poisons and antidotes, Mr Boot. That way you can prove your mastery in using a wand." Snape hissed, boring holes into the back of Terry's head.  
Justin Finch-Fletchley's potion started emitting green smoke and Snape vanished the content before any damage was done.  
"Five points from Ravenclaw for disturbing the class with mindless chatter." He added before moving to the front of the class.

Stephen sent Terry a superior look before turning his back on the now paler boy. Justin frowned at the partially melted cauldron in front of him before shrugging, his partner Ernie on the other hand sent Terry an annoyed look.  
All in all it was a good lesson for Harry, even if not for Terry, not that Harry thought for a minute that Snape would keep up the civil front for long. It was more likely the man was planning some gruesome surprise attack, which would come as soon as Harry had been lulled into a false sense of security.

"Very nice lesson if I may say so, I hope the Charms teacher keeps up the same standard." Stephen said as they walked down towards the Great hall. Harry was growing rather tired of the other boys tone, he was sounding rather a lot like Draco Malfoy.

Terry, who was walking behind them with Michael and Anthony, sent him a dark look.  
"Well I thought it was a waste of time." He said, making Stephen sniff.

"Yes well you're a muggleborn aren't you? What would you know about the value of potion making?" Stephen sneered, before storming off.

"Git." Terry muttered, glaring at Stephens's back, as the rest of them made it down towards the Great hall for lunch.

Harry snuck over to the Gryffindor table again, intent on having lunch with Neville and Ron. He got seated next to Neville, who looked rather tired.  
"Hi, what lessons have you had so far?" Harry asked, getting another yawn in response.

"Charm and History of ma..ag..gic…sorry." Neville yawned wide enough to make a small cracking noise.

"What are you doing here?" Ron asked, repeating himself from the morning.

"I thought I was going to sit with my friends, but if you don't want me too…" Harry said, trying not to feel a bit hurt by his best friend's words.

"Harry can sit here if he wants to." Neville said quietly, giving Ron a look.

"Well, I think that Ronald is right. We have house placements for a reason you know." Hermione said, lifting her chin at the looks she got from the three boys, for butting in on their conversation.

"I changed my mind, I think you should sit here every meal Harry." Ron said, making her blush.

"Yes, well you're not a teacher are you? I'm going to ask Professor McGonagall if students are allowed to just change the table seating as they want." Hermione snapped glaring at Ron, who made a face at her.

"Can you pipe it down now though, some of us are trying to eat in peace and your nagging is making it hard." Ron said, making her stiffen.

"Well! Well, you clearly don't have any table manners at all, which is making it hard for the rest of us to keep an appetite." Hermione retorted before moving further away.

"I do so have table manners." Ron muttered, mouth full. Harry and Neville glanced at each other before busying themselves with their lunch.

After lunch, Harry and the Ravenclaw's had Charm with their head of house. Flitwick was as cheery as usual and said Harry's name in a rather squeaky voice as he called it out.  
Harry had a real hard time trying to not get the charm right on his first go, seeing as how it was such an easy charm. In the end though it didn't matter as Flitwick missed it whilst correcting Lisa Turpin, who was waving her wand around wildly.

History was as dreadful as ever but Harry had, had the foresight of bringing his runes books with him and sat drawing until it was time to leave. Runes were proving to be rather interesting and Harry left the classroom none the worse for wear, compared to his yawning classmates.  
Even Stephen, the scholastic champion, had been unable to stay awake at the end of it.

"I don't see how we are supposed to stay awake until Astronomy." Michael complained, as they sat doing their homework up in the common room after eating. Harry had stayed with his own house this time.

"I'm guessing we could sleep until it's time for the lesson." Harry suggested, making Michael blink tiredly.

"I'm so tired that, that didn't even present itself as a possibility. Why would they have a ghost teaching a subject like history? It was dead boring." Michael complained, yawning again, making Terry giggle madly.

"Dead boring! Get it! A ghost!" Terry giggled, making the rest of them giggle madly too. They were all clearly at the end of their tether, Harry eyed them all worriedly, what had he gotten himself involved with.

The next morning dawned bright and early for Harry, who felt he couldn't go back to sleep once he'd woken.  
He got dressed as quietly as he could, not wanting to wake anyone else and then snuck down the stairs to the common room.  
Two older students were seated at a table, school books strewn around them, they gave him a quick look before going back to their work.

Making it down to the Great Hall, Harry wasn't that surprised at the small amount of students about. It was rather early after all. He grabbed an apple and some bread rolls before making his way outside, it was sunny and nice which shouldn't go to waste.  
He headed straight for the lake, watching the giant Squid played about languidly, relaxing for the first time in a while.  
It was good to be back home, he thought.

"Fang! Get back 'ere!" Hagrid called, pulling Harry out of his thoughts. He had a moments warning before Fangs drooly tongue slobbered its way all over his face.

"Urgh…Fang, stop it." Harry grumbled, trying to push the big dog away. He wiped at his face with his sleeves and watched as Hagrid pulled the excited dog away by its collar.

"Sorry 'bout tha', he's not usually this excited 'bout people." Hagrid said, giving Harry a friendly look.

"That's alright, I like dogs." Harry said smiling.  
"I'm Harry by the way." He said as they hadn't meet yet, he'd made it to Diagon Alley on his own this time after all.

"Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and grounds here at Hogwarts. And that's Fang, who yer already meet." Hagrid said.  
"Saw yeh when yeh was a baby, I did." He added after a moment's silence.

"Really? Did you meet my parents too?" Harry asked, eager to make friends again. Hagrid nodded and let Fang go, the dog sniffed at the grass for a moment before slumping down on his stomach.

"I did, yer couldn't find nicer people even if yer tried." Hagrid said, seating himself next to Harry on the grass.  
"I was right upset 'bout wha' happened to them." He added, giving Harry a kind look. Fang gave a loud snore making them both turn.  
"Yer big slouch!" Hagrid muttered, making Harry smile. They sat chatting until Harry had to run, he didn't want to be late for Transfiguration.

"Where were you?" Michael asked, as soon as Harry made it to his seat.

"Outside, just needed some air." Harry whispered, giving the cat on the table a quick look.

"We thought you'd be late for sure, you're lucky the professor isn't here yet." Terry said with a smile.

"Isn't that her on the table though?" Harry asked, making the students close enough to hear him turn and eye the cat with disbelieving eyes.  
"She is the Transfiguration professor after all." Harry pointed out.

"Quote right I am Mr Potter, five points to Ravenclaw for an astute guess." Professor McGonagall said, after having jumped off the table and returning to her human self.  
Terry's mouth dropped open with shock, before he gave her an impressed look.  
Harry enjoyed the lesson, glad to be back with his former head of house. It was hard to keep his magic in check though, his wand seemed to know what he was capable of and refused to dumb it down. In the end he left the class with ten more points after successfully transfiguring his toothpick into a needle on his first go. The professor was eyeing him with proud eyes that looked rather misty whenever she eyed him.

The first week of school passed rather quickly and Harry was soon settling into the rhythm of being a carefree student once more.  
He'd sent a letter to Tom as promised, giving Hedwig some exercise, and received word back that Tom had been a Ravenclaw as well. The man had told him of a short cut he'd not known previously, leading down to the Entrance Hall.

Harry had also made the decision to not interfere with the Philosophers stone, seeing as how it was going to be safe inside the mirror anyway.  
The plan now was to let Voldemort keep himself occupied with trying to get it, whilst Harry got his hands on the Diadem up in the Room of Requirement.  
Well, he needed to figure out a way to destroy it first, seeing as how the Basilisk still lived.  
He'd rather not wake that sleeping beast unless he had too, besides he wasn't sure how he'd be able to steal the hat from Dumbledore's office anyway.

He wasn't having as much luck with figuring out a way to free Sirius. His original plan had been to steal Pettigrew and present him to Dumbledore, but that would just open up a whole can of worms about how he'd known about the man.  
No it was best if he somehow made one of the teacher's suspicious of the rat instead. But who and how? That was the question.

One way or another Harry would free Sirius and clear his name.  
His godfather was not going to have to go into hiding this time and Harry was moving in with him! Dumbledore could grumble about blood protections all he wanted, Harry was not staying with the Dursley's another year.  
He'd figure out a way, somehow, of getting it all sorted.

* * *

_So any thoughts? Hope you liked it. Elerosse_


	5. Up, Up and away

**_Hi, here is another chappie. Sorry for the wait but school is on.  
Hope you like and i'll try to get another chapter out soon._**

* * *

A BAD INFLUENCE

The first week of school had gone by fast and before Harry knew it, half of the second had passed too. The Ravenclaw's had just finished their joint flying lesson together with the Hufflepuff's, without anyone getting hurt.  
It had been an excited group of students standing out in the light rain, ready to take flight, well mostly.  
"I can't believe we're forced to attend in this appalling weather." Stephen complained, holding his cloak over his head, as they took their positions next to the brooms. Harry had shrugged, as he was used to far worse.  
In the end they all got air bound, Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff's, flying in a long line. Stephen muttering darkly under his breath the whole time.  
Terry's broom had refused to move at first and he'd confessed to feeling a bit leery of heights, in the end Madam Hooch had coaxed him up in the air though.  
"I've been flying since I could walk, my father bought me a Nimbus 1800 for my first birthday." Stephen had said in a haughty tone as they waited for the Hufflepuff's to finish with the obstacle course set up by the professor.

"I think you forgot to pull the broom handle out of your…" Terry's muttered response was interrupted by Madam Hooch blowing her whistle loudly. It was time for the Ravenclaw's to fly through hoops and dodge enchanted pillows.

In the end they were let off early as the rain started pelting down on them.  
Stephen slid rather spectacularly on the wet grass and came up with his back dripping with mud. Most of the student couldn't help but laugh at the sight he made, which seemed to aggravate him further.  
"My father will hear of this!" He exclaimed before storming off towards the castle. The rest followed at a safe distance, more than happy for Stephen to finish his shower before they came up for theirs.

Harry had been bored senseless by the lesson, he wasn't complaining though as he didn't want to draw any attention to himself.  
He was already getting a reputation for being very studious, something about having his head in books at all times, it was only because of the school lessons being so easy but he didn't mention that. Harry definitely didn't consider himself as a studious person but it worked as a good excuse for him to read the more advanced texts.  
He was becoming more and more paranoid though, as the days went on, second guessing everything he did and how he did them. Dumbledore had been giving him odd looks, Snape had moved him up front in class and Harry swore he was being followed by some of the paintings.  
No he definitely didn't want to draw any more attention to himself, than he already was.

Harry kept his head down during dinner, ignoring Stephen and Terry who once again were at it.  
"Muggleborn's are not as good at casting magic! They take ages learning, right Harry!" Stephen said, patting Harry on the arm, trying and get his attention.

Terry and those nearby gave Harry expectant looks.  
"Well I was raised in the muggle world, so I wouldn't know." Harry answered, standing up.

Stephen eyed him with a horrified look.  
"But you're…you're top in the class!" He gasped clearly unable to believe what Harry was saying, Terry gave him a smug look.

"Excuse me but I think I'll have my pudding at the calmer Gryffindor table." Harry said, before walking off from the renewed argument his words had brought fourth.  
"Hi, do you mind if I join you?" He asked, smiling when Neville made room for him on the bench.  
"Have you guys had your flying lesson yet?" he asked, making Ron glow and Neville droop.

"Nmfr…imf…ampft." Ron said, spraying the table with half chewed bits of food. He received several disgusted glares, all of which he missed.  
"It's tomorrow and I can't wait! Can you believe that we're not allowed to try out for the team?" Ron asked, looking dismayed.  
"I've been flying for ages, once I almost crashed into a muggle and it was a really close call. Just missed him by a hair!" Ron said, looking rather happy about it.

"You can't be very good at flying then, can you, I mean if you miss things that are right in front of you?" Hermione pointed out, from her seat a bit further up the table. Ron gave her a glare before turning back to eye Harry with a fixed look on his face.

"Anyways, I've flown loads of times with my brothers. Fred and George are both on the team, you know." Ron said through gritted teeth, pulling the ice-cream bowl closer.

"I don't really want to fly, my gran never let me. In case I'd fall down." Neville said quietly.

"Well I love flying and can't wait for tomorrow!" Ron said happily, stuffing his mouth full.

"You probably won't get airborne with the amount of food you eat." Hermione said primly, making a few of the students nearby titter. Ron's ears went pink and his hand clenched hard around the spoon.

"We had to fly through hoops and dodge pillows." Harry said, eyeing Hermione curiously. She sniffed and turned her nose up at his look.

"I guess I might survive then, as long as I land on one of the pillows." Neville joked weakly.

"She's so annoying! I haven't done anything to her! She picks on me all the time." Ron hissed, leaning over the table.  
"You're saying it wrong, you're pointing it in the wrong direction…nag, nag, nag." He added, still in a hushed voice.

"Maybe she's trying to help you." Harry suggested, making Ron pull a face.

"Yeah right! She's a menace!" Ron complained, getting a hesitant nod from Neville.

"She does pick on us a little. Our potion lesson is a nightmare and it's not all because of…"Neville drew a breath before looking around the hall anxiously.  
"Professor Snape." He whispered, so quietly that Harry and Ron had to lean forwards to catch his words.  
"She spends the time in and out of class berating us about how we brew and where we went wrong. Although, you used to tease her back before." Neville finished.

Ron nodded several times in agreement with Neville's first comment, before shaking his head about having teased her.  
"She's a nightmare. Fred said to just ignore her and she'll stop eventually." Ron said, in a rather disbelieving voice.  
"It's not working though!" He added darkly, pulling the ice cream bowl closer again.

Harry sighed, trying to remember those days before they all made friends. He remembered thinking that she was annoying and how he and Ron had been a bit rude to her. But that was before they realised just what a good friend she made. He'd have to figure out a way for them to all get along again.

"Hey Potter!" Harry turned at the call of his name, spotting an older Ravenclaw boy motioning for him to return to their table.

"I'll see you guys later." Harry said, standing up.

"…rules are there for a reason. He's also taking other peoples food, the cook might not have made enough for him to eat at our table." Hermione was lecturing as Harry walked past, he couldn't help but shake his head at her. It was odd to have her campaigning against him, when she'd been his biggest supporter before.  
He'd get them all together again.

"You gonna join or what?!" Harry was asked as he came neared to the older boy. Harry blinked feeling confused, join what?

"What Colin is trying to ask, is would you like to join our study group? We meet in the library after dinner every day, you just show up on the days you want to." Penelope Clearwater asked, after rolling her eyes at the other boy.

"Um, yeah sure." Harry said, he'd already heard of the group and wondered at joining. He was having some problem with his runes, which were getting harder to finish and having the help of a more experienced student sounded quite good.

"Great! Everyone helps out in whatever way they can and receive help from those who can. Win, win for all." Penelope said with a bright smile.

So there he was, after dinner, in the library. His ancient runes notes on the table in front of him and Stephen parked in the seat next to him.  
"I find our defence work laughable." Stephen complained as he scribbled on his parchment, several nods came from student from all year groups at his statement.

"He was actually the Muggle studies professor when I was a first year. Went out to get some first-hand experience in the defence subject so he could apply for the job." One of the seventh years said, making Harry blink in surprise. He'd never actually thought about what Quirrel had done before becoming Defence professor, as he couldn't have been the teacher for more than a year due to the curse.  
"He either didn't get enough or he got too much." She mused, paging through a thick book.

"Well, my father will hear about the lack of standards in the subject." Stephen sniffed.  
"Oh, hello Draco, are you joining us again?" He added, making Harry turn and look behind himself.

The blond boy standing there, gave him a glare.  
"Bet you thought you were clever Potter, introducing yourself with a fake name." Malfoy said, drawing stares.

"Well, he was sorted into Ravenclaw." Penelope pointed out, making Malfoy stiffen, several students hid smiles at her words.

"I just wanted a few more moments of anonymity, didn't mean to put you out. It's just so annoying when people make a fuss about my name." Harry answered.

Malfoy gave him a long searching stare.  
"I'm Draco, Draco Malfoy." He said, holding his hand out regally.

"Harry Potter." Harry said, grasping the offered hand with a queer feeling.

"You should be careful about who you acquaint yourself with. The Weasley's for example, are not the kind of people to socialise with." Malfoy said, pulling out the chair on Harry's other side. He made a dismissive gesture to Crabbe and Goyle, who moved to sit by an empty table.

"One should not dismiss people on the basis of their name. You never know what they'll amount to, unless you give them a chance. A clever person surrounds themselves with many friends and no enemies." Penelope said rather drily and Harry wondered if she was dating Percy yet.

"I believe that too." Harry said, getting a small smile from the prefect.

"Each to their own I guess." Draco said after a moment of silence.  
"Have you finished your potions essay? Stupid Gryffindor's keep interrupting in class and I missed a few pointers." Malfoy sneered, before giving Harry a hopeful look. Harry nodded slowly, he felt very strange all of a sudden, Malfoy was asking him for help and sitting in a seat next to him without the world ending. Maybe he'd hit his head or something.

The next day after Herbology, when Harry went down for dinner, he heard about the poor Gryffindor first year who's crashed during flying.  
He pulled a hand through his damp hair and sighed before heading away from the hall, he wasn't really surprised.

"Harry!?" Neville exclaimed in surprise as Harry entered the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey gave him a narrowed eyed look, clearly checking for injuries, before huffing when she failed to see any obvious ones.

"I heard about your accident and thought that you might like some dinner company." Harry said, moving closer to the bedridden boy.

Madam Pomfrey gave the untouched plate next to Neville a look before nodding.  
"You may keep mister Longbottom company, as long as you both remember that this is a place of calm and healing." She said, making them both nod.

"I missed the pillows, well we didn't actually get to that part at all." Neville joked weakly, making Harry grin.  
"Broke my wrist in two places, but it's nothing I haven't done before." He added, patting his arm with a sigh.

"How long do you have to stay here?" Harry asked, knowing that Madam Pomfrey kept you until she was happy and not a moment sooner.

"Until the bones have harden enough, she healed them in a matter of moments but the bone-stabiliser potion usually takes a while to work." Neville answered with a crocked grin.

"Ridiculous to have first years flying and in the first couple of weeks of school too." Madam Pomfrey muttered as she placed a plate of food in front of Harry.  
"Eat up now boys." She instructed before leaving them to it.

Neville grinned as the medi-witch disappeared into her office.  
"She doesn't like flying either." He whispered, rubbing his wrist gently. Harry nodded, well aware of the fact after all his visits here.

When he entered the Ravenclaw common room, after being told to leave the patient to rest, he was accosted by an irritated Stephen.  
"Where have you been? Did you hear about Draco and your friend Weasley?" He asked, making Harry shake his head slowly.  
"They got in trouble for fighting during their flying lesson and now Draco's gone and challenged your friend to a duel." He added, gazing at Harry disbelievingly. Harry opened his mouth but didn't get a chance to respond.  
"Honestly, I thought that Draco was above such childish things." Stephen sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Have you known Ma, er…Draco for a long time?" Harry asked, not sure if he remembered Malfoy hanging with anyone but the Slytherin's.

"For ages, our mothers are both on St. Mungos charity board and we had some schooling together when we were younger." Stephen said puffing up, clearly proud.

"You're so full of it." Terry drawled from a table nearby, leaving Michael and Anthony to snicker at his words.

"If you mean class and a care for others less fortunate, then yes I am full of it!" Stephen sniped, before marching up to their dormitory, leaving the three boys guffawing at the table. Harry rolled his eyes at them all, he so didn't want to be pulled into their little spat.

The next morning when Harry came down for breakfast, Neville frantically waved him over.  
"We saw a three headed dog on the third floor yesterday." Neville breathed, as soon as Harry was close enough to hear, he looked terrified.

"And Granger isn't talking to us anymore." Ron said cheerfully over his toast, as Harry pulled the teapot nearer.  
"Can you believe she was more worried about being expelled than having that beast chew us up?" He asked, shaking his head. Harry glanced at Hermione who sat reading a thick book, whilst nibbling on a piece of toast.

"What were you doing on the third floor?" Harry asked sensing that Ron, who was eying him expectantly, wanted the question asked.

"Malfoy!" Ron exclaimed rather excitedly, as if it explained everything.

"You didn't have to say yes to a duel at midnight. You almost got us all in trouble and you already have a detention from yesterday?" Neville chastened quietly, making Ron scowl.

"But it was Malfoy's fault!" Ron protested, biting into his toast viciously.  
"He'll be gloating during Potions for sure, he didn't show up you see and we think he may have set us up to be caught by Filch." Ron added.

"That's the caretaker, the one with the scary cat." Neville pointed out, shuddering.

Ron nodded glumly.  
"It's with him I have detention on Saturday." He said, making Neville shudder again.

"I'm going to be good and not get any detentions." Neville proclaimed, making Harry snort as it was going to be really hard to keep if school went as it had before.

"I'm having tea with the caretaker, Hagrid, after lunch. He's really nice, do you guys want to come with me?" Harry said, changing the subject, thinking it would be fun to introduce them to each other again.

"I've heard about him, Charlie said that he's really nice." Ron said, happy to have a change in subject.  
"Besides, we'll need something nice to look forwards to with Double Potion next." He added, making Neville sigh dramatically.

* * *

_**So, what do you think? Many thanks for reading:) Elerosse**_


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